Pepe Graduates from the TabCho

On Sunday, Jana and I traveled to Temple Square for the first time since the pandemic started. Temple Square renovation began just a few months before that, so really there hasn't been too much going on there in the past few years that we have missed.

Anyhow, the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square are back as of a few months ago, and they are once again performing new "Music and the Spoken Word" broadcasts for the public each Sunday morning at 9:30. This particular occasion also marked the retirement of more than 30 TCAOATS members, including my lifelong friend, John "Pepe" Abercrombie.

Generally speaking, TabCho members may remain in the choir for 20 years or until age 55, whichever comes first. However, Pepe found a loophole to stay for about 22½ years altogether. He joined toward the end of 1999, and therefore, he reached his 20 years' mark at the end of 2019, with a planned retirement broadcast/concert set for the spring of 2020. As you all know by now, many live theater and musical groups (including Improvables!) closed down or postponed operations indefinitely at that time, which ended up being about 18 months for the TCAOATS. Ergo, this retirement ceremony featured a large number of retiring TabCho and Orchestra members who hit their 20-year marks or reached age 55 during the pandemic.

It was wonderful to be back in the historic Tabernacle. Likewise, it was wonderful to hear the TCAOATS live for the first time in years, because the TV broadcast just doesn't do justice to how great they sound in person. The retirement ceremony that followed the broadcast included conductor Mack Wilberg and Choir President Michael Leavitt (former governor of Utah) presenting plaques to each retiree.

It was good to run into a number of friends and other familiar faces who still perform with TCAOATS or who attended. As for Pepe, he tells me he'll spend the Thursday nights and Sunday mornings he now has free by looking for another musical group or groups to continue to sing with, which I'm sure will include at least his ward choir. It'll be odd not seeing his face among Choir members at future general conferences and concerts, but life goes on.

Lighting the World 2019

Unfortunately, JB and I were not able to make the annual trip down to the Conference Center for the First Presidency Christmas Devotional this year, as we have for the past three years, as one of us was recovering from unexpected emergency surgery. Fortunately, we're past all that now, and last night we made it downtown to see the lights at Temple Square together.

On our way, we passed through the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and actually had to wait in line (20 to 25 minutes or so) to use one of the Light the World giving machines. We purchased three chickens (internationally) and 100 meals for the Utah Food Bank (locally).

There are few sights more beautiful than Temple Square at Christmas time. It was a cold but lovely evening out and a great way to get into the Christmas spirit.

Paula's Visit

On Saturday, we were grateful to spend part of the day with Paula, whose mother Roxana I taught the discussions to as a missionary in Lima, Peru, over 20 years ago (!). Paula was in town from Sacramento this week for EFY, and we were able to take her through Temple Square and some of the other sites in downtown Salt Lake City before dropping her off at the airport for her return trip home.

She’s a great kid and part of a great family we are blessed to know. She spoke of her desires to serve a mission of her own when she turns 19 years old, and how could we not encourage her to do so? (JB and I are both RMs.)

The First Presidency's Christmas Devotional

It's good to have friends in high places, and one of mine is good old Pepe. We've known each other and have been friends since literally pre-school.

Pepe has been a member of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (or the artists formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) for many years now. Most of those years, at about this time of year, he has generously given me tickets to attend the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional down at the Conference Center. It is always a wonderful experience attending an evening of inspirational Christmas messages, as well as listening to music from the TabChoir and Orchestra at Temple Square.

JB and I went on our first date, in fact, to the devotional two years ago. Last year, we attended once more, just a week after we got engaged. And for the third straight year, we attended Sunday night for the first time as a married couple.

The Conference Center was beautifully decorated.

The devotional itself was marvelous. The speakers were Sister Sharon Eubank of the Relief Society General Presidency; Elder Terence M. Vinson of the Presidency of the Seventy; Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; and finally our prophet, Pres. Russell M. Nelson. It was incredible to sit just a stone's throw from a prophet of God, hearing his inspired counsel.

The TabChoir and orchestra performed "The First Noel," "Silent Night," "Oh Come, All Ye Faithful," and the "Hallelujah" chorus from Handel's great work Messiah. Years ago, Dad taught me years that you always stand for any performance of the "Hallelujah" chorus, following a precedent set by the British king George II, who was so moved when he first heard it that he stood up.

And so, when in Rome, etc.

After the devotional, we took a stroll around Temple Square, in spite of a light snowstorm, to see the lights, which are always a beautiful sight.

It's an added bonus to have a beautiful person at your side.